182^ On the Elucidation of 



advantage to be gained by the application of the alphabet in 

 decyphering other proper names, distinguished by being in- 

 closed in rings, existing on other statues, and in the more 

 ancient temples generally. Considerable progress had been 

 made in reading these, which in several instances had been 

 found to correspond with the names of the kings of the same 

 and of subsequent dynasties to Amenophis, as given by Ma- 

 netho, when a most important discovery was made of the exist- 

 ence of a genealogical record, in hieroglyphics, of the titles of 

 thirty-nine kings anterior to Sesostris, chronologically arranged. 

 We have already noticed that the names and titles of kings 

 were distinguished by being inclosed in rings ; the ring con- 

 taining the proper name being accompanied usually by a se- 

 cond, inclosing certain other hieroglyphics, expressing the title 

 by which that particular king was designated ; and it appears 

 probable that the kings of Egypt were distinguished by their 

 titles rather than by their names, since the same name recurs 

 frequently in different individuals, but the titles are all dissi- 

 milar ; with a single exception amongst the very many that 

 have come under observation, and in which the same title is 

 common to two brothers. The signification of the titles is yet 

 obscure, except that they are of the same general nature as is 

 frequent in the East, such as '^Sun of the Universe," &c. ; but 

 for the purpose of individualizing, the sign is to us of the same 

 value as the thing signified ; and as other monuments furnish 

 the names in connexion with the titles, we are enabled to com- 

 pare the succession evidenced by the titles with the record of 

 the historian, and thus to test the fidelity of the record. The 

 discovery of this hieroglyphic table was made by Mr. Wil- 

 liam Banks in 1818, in excavating for the purpose of obtain- 

 ing an accurate ground-plan of the ruins of Abydus, near 

 Thebes. On a side wall of one of the innermost apartments, 

 hieroglyphics were sculptured inclosed in rings, ranged symme- 

 trically in three horizontal rows, each row having originally 

 contained twenty rings, of which twelve of the upper row, 

 eighteen of the middle, and fourteen of the lower row were still 

 remaining, the others having been destroyed by the breaking 

 down of the wall. The hieroglyphics having been copied and 

 lithographed, it was speedily recognised that the rings in the two 

 upper rows consisted of titles only j with the exception of one 



